In many medical procedures, a medical device must be placed in tissue that is well below the exposed surface of the body. Typically, an incision or puncture is made through surrounding tissue to gain access to the target tissue. After the procedure, the access incision is usually treated to encourage healing.
For example, in balloon angioplasty procedures, a narrow access channel is cut that extends from the body surface through the skin, the subcutaneous fascia (e.g. connective tissue, fat and muscle), and the wall of a blood vessel. An access catheter is placed in the access channel and the angioplasty catheter delivered into the vessel through the access catheter. At the end of the procedure, the access catheter is removed from the body. The access channel is treated to prevent excessive bleeding by applying manual pressure to the site or depositing a hemostatic material into the channel.